Kuo: Development on Apple-Designed Wi-Fi Chip Paused 'for a While'

Apple has paused work on the Wi-Fi chip that it has in development, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today. The development of the Apple-designed Wi-Fi chip has been "halted" at the current time, and Kuo says Apple will hold off "for a while."

That means that Apple supplier Broadcom will continue providing Apple with Wi-Fi chips for the foreseeable future, including supplying the chips for the upcoming iPhone 15 models that are set to be released in 2023.

News of Apple's work on a Wi-Fi chip first surfaced in January when Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple was working on a combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip that would replace components that are sourced from Broadcom. At the time, Gurman said that Apple was aiming to transition to its own chips starting in 2024, replacing Broadcom parts by 2025.

Note that the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip is separate from the 5G modem chip that Apple also has in development to replace technology from Qualcomm. Apple's ultimate goal is to produce many more of the iPhone's critical components in-house, reducing its reliance on third-party companies.

Eventually, Apple wants to create a chip that combines the cellular modem, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth functions into one, and the company is also working to replace the radio-frequency chips and chips for wireless charging that it gets from Qualcomm.

Kuo says that Apple's previous development for a Wi-Fi solution was a Wi-Fi only chip and not the rumored Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo chip. The pairing of the two technologies is more challenging for Apple to do.

More specifically, Apple's previous development for Wi-Fi solution was the Wi-Fi-only chip and not the Wi-Fi+Bluetooth combo chip. From a design standpoint, developing a Wi-Fi+Bluetooth combo chip is more challenging than just a Wi-Fi-only chip. Since most of Apple's products use the combo chip, it would be even more challenging to replace Broadcom's combo chips with its own if Apple decides to do so.

Work on a Wi-Fi chip has been paused because Apple wants to focus its chip design resources on the advanced 3-nanometer chips that are set to power future iPhones and other devices. Kuo says that "insufficient development resources" are therefore delaying the mass production of not only Apple's 5G chip, but also the Wi-Fi chip.

Kuo believes that over the next two to three years, it will be risky for Apple to use its own Wi-Fi chips as standards are changing and Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 are being adopted. For now, Kuo thinks Apple will begin adopting Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 chips for its devices, with Broadcom to benefit.

Tag: Ming-Chi Kuo

This article, "Kuo: Development on Apple-Designed Wi-Fi Chip Paused 'for a While'" first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums

Source: TechRadar

iPhone 14 Color Options: Which Color Should You Choose?

The iPhone 14 models are available in a range of color options, with entirely new hues available on both sets of devices, as well as some popular classics. The ‌iPhone 14‌ and iPhone 14 Pro lineups have different colors to choose from, so if you have your heart set on a particular shade, you may not be able to get your preferred model in that color. Check out our guide on the ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ color options for more information about those devices. The ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus are now available in a total of six colors, four of which are new shades. Although previous standard iPhone lineup color options have tended to be bolder and brighter, in 2022, Apple chose to offer a slightly more muted color palette, with the exception of a brighter PRODUCT(RED) and Yellow. The ‌iPhone 14‌ and ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus's six available color options are: Midnight Starlight PRODUCT(RED) Blue Purple Yellow Midnight and Starlight were carried over from the iPhone 13 lineup,

New MacBook Air Rumored to Launch in April With These 5 New Features

Apple plans to release a new MacBook Air with a larger 15-inch display in April , according to display industry analyst Ross Young. The laptop is expected to be powered by the M2 chip and will likely support Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. While we wait for the new MacBook Air to be announced, we have recapped five new features that have been rumored or are likely to be included. 15-Inch Display The new MacBook Air is expected to be equipped with a larger 15.5-inch display , which would be the largest ever for the laptop. The current MacBook Air has a 13.6-inch display, and the laptop was offered in an 11-inch size many years ago. While a new 13-inch MacBook Air with an OLED display is rumored to launch in 2024, the 15-inch model is expected to have a traditional LCD. M2 Chip Like the 13-inch MacBook Air, the 15-inch model will reportedly be available with the M2 chip . Apple says the M2 chip has up to an 18% faster CPU, up to a 35% faster GPU, and up to a 40% faster Neural E

T-Mobile to Acquire Ryan Reynolds' Mint Mobile Brand

U.S. carrier T-Mobile today announced that it plans to acquire Mint Mobile, the affordable smartphone brand that is promoted by and backed by actor Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds and T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert teamed up for a video letting customers know about the coming acquisition. The deal is for Ka'ena Corporation, the parent company of Mint Mobile, Ultra Mobile, and Plum, with T-Mobile paying up to $1.35 billion, split into 39 percent cash and 61 percent stock. The final purchase price will be settled later this year after the deal closes. T-Mobile plans to continue Mint Mobile's $15 per month pricing option, which provides 4GB of high-speed 4G or 5G data along with unlimited text and talk. T-Mobile is purchasing Mint Mobile's sales, marketing, digital, and service operations, and says that it will use the T-Mobile supplier relationships and distribution scale to help Mint Mobile grow. Mint Mobile's "industry leading" marketing expertise will be incorpor

Apple's First OLED iPad: All the Rumors So Far

Apple is developing OLED technology for the iPad , and the new displays are expected to come to the iPad Pro models as soon as next year. This guide aggregates everything we know about Apple's plans for the OLED ‌iPad‌. Sizing Apple is expected to offer the first OLED iPads in sizes that are similar to the current ‌iPad Pro‌ sizes, providing one smaller 10.9 to 11.1-inch model and a larger 12.9 to 13-inch model (rumors vary slightly on target display size). In the future, OLED ‌iPad‌ models could be as large as 15 inches . Rumors suggest that Apple supplier BOE is developing OLED displays as large as 15 inches, which could be used for a larger-sized ‌iPad‌. According to Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman , Apple is considering iPads that exceed 12.9 inches, and in 2021, he claimed that larger sizes were a "couple of years down the road, but could be scrapped all together. OLED Improvements Compared to the mini-LED technology that Apple uses for the 12.9-inch ‌iPad Pro‌

Tech Talk

Search This Blog